The Heart of the Qunari
by silvergryphon06
Summary: Sten is a warrior, stoic and closed off. However, an elven woman has become much more to him than his commander and he must choose if he will act on his feelings or not...


Sten watched Alanna, her blades an extension of that perfect lithe elven body. His trademark scowl deepened at the thought and he mentally berated himself for allowing such a distraction. He was the sten of the Beresaad and yet he cannot keep his mind on swordplay. Even so, Alanna could find no gap in his defenses. Asala, his beloved sword, whirled and clashed with her own twin blades, keeping her at arms length. To outside eyes, it appeared to be an even match, despite Sten's much larger frame and massive weapon. Alanna was cat quick and she fluidly parried and there was a harmony in her fighting style, a steadiness of purpose that meshed with the unpredictability that came with being a ranger.

Her movements reminded Sten of her eyes, a clear, deep gray, which then reminded him of the sea. Yes, she was akin to the sea; strong and beautiful, fierce and sometimes gentle, for the ocean had always called to his heart, _like she does_. Sten's violet eyes widened just a fraction and he somehow managed to keep his guard up. She had freed him from that tiny cage in Lothering, knowing what he had done. She pushed and prodded him until he felt ready to slice a tree clean in two at her constant questions. He had grudgingly given her his respect as a warrior for her as both his commander and as a friend. Alanna had gone out of her way to bring his sword back to him, to complete his soul. Sten felt something stir within him, then, as he continued to watch her movements carefully. It ran through his blood at how her leather armor molded to feminine curves and gave flashes of her creamy thighs, little peeks that were driving him mad.

The feeling quickly moved south and he felt his manhood, which had already been giving him trouble for days, tighten insistently as his gaze briefly rested on the very gray eyes that he privately dreamed of when he was alone on his watch. She met his stare, unflinching, and he felt admiration for her courage and stubbornness of will. She was not going to back down and they both knew it. Alanna for her part, was fascinated with the Qunari warrior. He had given her such a shocked look, which meant that she could actually see a change in his expression, when she had given him a painting she had found in the Mage's Tower. He had taken it from her outstretched hands gingerly and gazed at it for a long time before nodding his thanks. After that, she had kept her eyes open for more, just to see if she could get more such reactions from him.

And when she had finally found his sword in that greedy little bastard's house, she ran all the way back to camp. She remembered how his head had jerked around at her calling his name, cradling his Asala in her arms, like a precious treasure. He thanked her verbally this time and she thought she might have seen a ghost of a smile on his normally hardened features. Alanna would give much to see that small smile again. It made his face lit up with a warmth that, to her, made him just that much more handsome. And she did find him handsome. There were many nights were she often fantasized about those large hands caressing her in places no man had ever touched, his violet eyes glittering in the dark above her. Tightening her resolve as heat pooled low in her abdomen, she mentally shook herself and barely blocked his strike to her left.

There was no one else awake in the camp, as they had all given up of there being a victor any time soon in this sparring. They had all gone to sleep, knowing that the duel would be continuing well into the night. Indeed, the moon shone through the trees, though faintly. The firelight caught in Alanna's fiery hair and in short glances, Sten admired how it danced in her auburn curls. Neither of them had heeded the called out good nights nor did they notice how everyone had disappeared. Perhaps that is why they only liked to spar with each other; their focus on their steely dance was absolute. Never any words, barely any acknowledgment of the other, just the ringing of blades and the steadiness of their breathing.

As the moon rose in the sky, Alanna was struck with sudden inspiration. She bid her time, watching the Qunari's surprisingly quick movements carefully; there! She danced away from Asala's long reach and skillfully flicked her wrist, sending her left sword spinning towards him. He blocked it easily, but it had bought her the time she needed. She rushed him as he was just turning back to her and he barely caught the movement, she was so fast. She dropped beneath his one handed swing, but he caught her with his other hand, releasing Asala and deftly pinned Alanna to his chest. Her own sword fell to the grass and she stared up at him, positively shocked. Then she smiled.

"How'd you know I was going to pull that?"

Sten's face was impassive, but then he gave her that ghost smile.

"I made the conclusion that, in order to win, a woman must fight dirty."

She nodded, her smile widening until he could see it reflected in her eyes, warm and dancing with mischief. Just like that, the mood changed and Sten became very aware of every inch of her female body against him. His one arm easily circled around her and had lifted her off her feet, placing her firmly against his chest, while her hips had been thrust somewhat forward and was pressed intimately against his groin. He swallowed and looked straight into her face, noting how she too, had felt the shift in the air. The world around them seemed to slow, then stop altogether as Sten struggled with warring desires.

Ultimately, one side won and he moved so quickly, Alanna didn't realize that they had moved into the forest and he had pushed her against a tree until his lips were on her own. Surprisingly silky and warm, they moved over hers and she responded without thinking. She wanted this so badly and felt her body melting against his. Sten tried to be somewhat gentle with his kisses, but his need for her was quickly overtaking any rational thought in his mind. Then he felt her small tongue slowly glide along his bottom lip and he was lost. Holding her up with one arm, he moved his other hand, lightly stroking along her side, her hip, enjoying the feel of muscle beneath the leather of her armor. Slowly, he ran it down, down, until he felt the softness of her thigh against his fingertips. As their kisses deepened, he inched his hand upwards, stroking her.

She made a kitten like sound and then gently sucked on his tongue. His already too tight breeches got tighter and he could take no more. He broke away from their kiss and blazed a heated trail down her neck and he felt more than heard her moan. She writhed against him and he could feel her fingernails digging into his broad shoulders. Then, struck with a wicked thought, Alanna smoothed her hands down, until she reached the hem of his tunic, then slid her hands under it and ran her palms along the muscles of his chest, his abdomen, anywhere she could reach. He growled and she heard him speak low in her ear.

"You test me, woman."

She smiled in response and placed her lips against his jaw, giving him butterfly kisses until she reached his throat and bit down lightly. The next thing she was aware of, aside from his mouth and hands being everywhere, was that her armor was gone, as was his shirt and breeches, and yet he had still managed to keep her pinned against the tree. She felt his tongue hotly along the slopes of her breasts, then he pulled down the thin strip of cloth that hid them from him. He paused a moment to admire their round, full, softness, then let his mouth glide heatedly down to capture her nipple. Her gasp made his manhood twitch in response as he suckled her pink bud. It felt as though their was a hot cord that lanced down between her legs as his tongue swirled first around one, then the other. Mindful not to neglect either, his hand rose to gently squeeze and caress, his thumb flicking lightly.

Not to be outdone, Alanna sensuously slid one leg up his, stroking the muscles in his calves with a slender foot, before wrapping both around his waist. Because of his massive size, she couldn't link them together, but she managed to angle herself in such a way that the heat of her core pressed against his groin. Her eyes widened at how big he was, even confined in his small heard him groan as she rubbed herself against him. Working her arm down, she somehow accomplished in reaching his stomach with her fingertips. She marveled at the feel of hard, corded muscle, then slid further down and stroked his length through the cloth. Sten jerked, his hips thrusting forward of their own accord as her hand squeezed him lightly, then began to move achingly slow down, then back up again, repeating, snapping the last shred of control that he possessed.

He moved her to the leaf covered forest floor, ripping the thin material that hid the last of her beautiful body from his gaze. He kissed her again, their tongues warring for dominance and he slid two fingers down her flat stomach to her core. He could feel her ready she was for him and he felt ready to explode himself. Despite the fierceness of his need, he did not want to hurt her with his large body, so he pulled back again, only to plunge those wicked fingers inside of her and he groaned at how tight and hot she felt. He couldn't wait much longer, but he ground out,

"Do you wish to be on top of me?"

Alanna could barely register he was speaking to her, his fingers plunging in and out of her body was pushing her towards a peak that she desperately needed. Sten realized this and removed his hand, though he was sorely tempted to finish her there and then, just to watch the ecstasy on her face, the arching of her body to his touch. He moved over her and gently ran a finger along her jaw. She turned her face and quickly sucked his finger into her mouth and he dropped his head, groaning at the sensation, wishing that she would put those lips on other places. She relished his reaction and senses his desire. She knew there was no way that she could have pushed him off of her so she reached up and kissed him again, nibbling on his lips, then down to his throat, his chest. She gave one nipple a quick lick, enjoying how he shuddered above her, then wiggled her way further down.

She was small enough that she slipped her lithe frame between his legs, until she was level with her goal. She moved aside his small clothes and let out a tiny gasp at exactly how large he really was. Feeling was one thing, but seeing it firsthand was something else entirely. Alanna could see Sten's tension in the stillness of his body and when she lightly flicked her tongue against him, he forgot how to breathe. Then he felt her hot mouth around him, both of her hands at the base, squeezing and pumping. It was only when he felt her suck on the tip of his length that he remembered again.

"Alanna, I cannot hold it if you do not stop," he gasped out.

It seemed as though she was not going to listen and he was just about to reach down and drag her back up, when she stilled and made a pushing motion against him. He complied, rolling over onto his back and she quickly straddled him. He placed his large hands on her hips as she slowly guided him into her heat. As she moved, she could hear him murmuring words in his native tongue, soft and low and even though she didn't know much of his language, she understood the tone of his voice, for elves have a way of knowing such things. He was so big inside of her, yet she had never felt so good in all her life. Sten's hands on her hips controlled their pace and soon she was being pushed harder and harder onto him that she thought she might be cloven in two. His name tumbled from her lips like the Chant itself and then she peaked. He felt her contracting around him and it drove him to his own climax, thrusting up into her erratically before he gave a roar of release.

Alanna let herself collapse on his large chest, enjoying the feel of his muscled body beneath her. As they tried to catch their breathe, they finally became aware of the sounds of the woods around them. She felt his arms come up and encircle her, enveloping her in his warmth. She sighed in contentment, tracing lazy patterns with her fingers. She chanced a look up to face and found an expression of peacefulness and that small smile. It filled her heart to bursting to know that she had made him wear that look. His eyes were closed, then suddenly opened and returned her gaze. Sten pulled her up till he could speak in her ear and he spoke to her in his own tongue. She didn't have to know the words to know what he was saying and she replied in her own language, softly kissing his lips.

That was when, for the first time in his life, that Sten of the Beresaad, Qunari commander, grinned.


End file.
